Scottish Executive

Finance

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of hosting its three "Budget Roadshows" in Inverness, Kilmarnock and Dundee, including the hire of the facilities, any use of external consultants and publicity.

Angus MacKay: The Budget Roadshow in Inverness cost £2,876. This comprised £291 for the hire of the venue and refreshments, £2,435 for the hire of audio visual facilities, staging and the operating staff, and £150 for publicity. This does not include Executive staff costs.

  More than 80 people attended the event at Inverness. It was a highly successful meeting and many issues of interest and concern to the audience were raised.

  The remaining roadshows in Kilmarnock and Dundee will be held on 27 and 29 August, and we expect the costs to be similar to the Inverness roadshow. The costs will be met from existing budgets.

Finance

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it took into account in deciding (a) the locations for its "Budget Roadshows" and (b) which organisations and interest groups to invite to them.

Angus MacKay: The roadshow locations were chosen, as last year, to reflect a mix of urban and rural areas outwith the central belt.

  We have endeavoured to invite people to represent the public, private and voluntary sectors in the areas surrounding the host town or city, whilst aiming for an appropriately sized group.

NHS Staff

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many current vacancies there are in the NHS for (a) radiographers, (b) radiologists and (c) specialist cancer nurses, broken down by health board.

Susan Deacon: The latest available data are shown for qualified radiographers in Table 1 and for consultant radiologists in Table 2. Information on vacant posts for specialist cancer nurses is not collected centrally.

  


Table 1: Qualified radiographer vacancies1 by 
  Health Board Area: at 31 March 2000 
  



 


Whole Time Equivalent
All vacancies 
  

Vacant over 3 months 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

1.0 
  

- 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

1.8 
  

- 
  



Borders 
  

1.0 
  

- 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

1.4 
  

0.4 
  



Fife 
  

3.5 
  

1.5 
  



Forth Valley 
  

2.0 
  

1.0 
  



Grampian 
  

2.0 
  

2.0 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

5.0 
  

3.0 
  



Highland 
  

1.0 
  

1.0 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

2.0 
  

- 
  



Lothian 
  

5.0 
  

- 
  



Orkney 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Shetland 
  

1.0 
  

1.0 
  



Tayside 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Western Isles 
  

- 
  

- 
  



  Source: ISD(M)36, ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. The response rate for the PAMS vacancy survey was 94%.

  


Table 2: Consultant Radiologist Vacancies by Health Board 
  Area: at 30 September 2000 
  



 


Headcount
All Vacancies 
  

Vacant over 6 months 
  



Scotland 
  

16 
  

3 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Borders 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Fife 
  

8 
  

1 
  



Forth Valley 
  

1 
  

- 
  



Grampian 
  

2 
  

- 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Highland 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

2 
  

1 
  



Lothian 
  

1 
  

- 
  



Orkney 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Shetland 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Tayside 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Western Isles 
  

1 
  

- 
  



  Source: ISD(M)4, ISD Scotland.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate whether samples of soil taken from the high risk area around the Baldovie incinerator show levels of toxic metals 68% higher than those samples taken from an area six miles from the plant, as stated by Friends of the Earth Scotland.

Rhona Brankin: A study by the University of Dundee sampled and analysed soil for a range of 17 pollutants, including toxic metals, at 85 different sites near the incinerator at Baldovie. Concentrations of four of these substances were found to be above maximum levels recommended for soil at a number of the sampling sites. It should be stressed that these are not connected to the modern incinerator now operating at Baldovie. These findings were not unexpected for an urban environment and contain nothing to suggest that there is any significant threat to the health of those living near the incinerator or the wider population in and around the city of Dundee, or to the environment. The University of Dundee is currently carrying out a detailed epidemiological study into the health of the potentially affected population and no additional investigation is planned pending publication of the findings from this study.

Waste Management

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the possibility of making provision for recycling and composting waste as an alternative to incineration in any area where the construction of a new incinerator is currently being mooted, in line with the concept of "waste hierarchy" in The National Waste Strategy: Scotland , and whether it will publish the results of any such investigation.

Rhona Brankin: There is no need to carry out the investigation suggested. The National Waste Strategy: Scotland states that, as well as the waste hierarchy, a number of other principles need to be taken into account in establishing a sustainable future for waste management. As part of the implementation of the strategy, 11 Area Waste Plans are being prepared to set out the Best Practicable Environmental Option for dealing with the waste from each area. In making these decisions, the groups will compare a range of waste management options (including recycling, composting and thermal treatment) and will consider environmental, social and economic aspects. The groups preparing these plans include local representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, local authorities, enterprise companies, industry and local community organisations and the draft plans will be issued for public consultation.

  I also refer to the consultation paper on the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) issued by the Executive on 3 August 2001. The paper proposes that support under the obligation will not be given for electricity generated from incineration of municipal waste, but will be given for electricity from gasification or pyrolysis of the biodegradable fraction of such wastes. This will encourage the development of integrated waste systems which include waste separation, recycling etc.

Water Charges

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the £24 million financial package allocated to address the impact of water charge rises on people with low incomes for 2001-02 to 2003-04, stating whether any additional money has been added to this since the consultation process, as referred to in page 189 of The Scottish Budget, was completed.

Ross Finnie: The funding for the Water and Sewerage Charges Reduction Scheme is £24 million as announced originally. This funding will be allocated to providing reductions in water and sewerage charges from 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2004.

  In 2001-02 the Water and Sewerage Charges Reduction Scheme will allocate £10 million to provide a reduction in water and sewerage charges to households in receipt of Council Tax Benefit whose charges exceed £180. These reductions will be backdated to 1 April 2001.

  Plans to allocate the remaining £14 million will be published in due course following analysis of data captured in 2001-02.